A Sliver of Gold

Acrylic on Canvas

Size:

• 20”x20”

• 24”x24”

• 30”x30”

A Sliver of Gold series illustrates via art and visual means the space occupied by the Jewish people within all humanity. The concept reveals a grid comprised of 100 squares, with each square representing 1% of the human race. Like humanity, the squares are layered, imperfect and beautiful.

The sliver of gold in the center is approximately 1/5th of 1%, in other words, 0.2% of the entire canvas, corresponding to the world’s Jewish population. Out of 8.2 billion people on Earth, there are approximately 15.8-17.5 million Jews.

The gold bar, resembling a mezuzah, bears the Hebrew letters shin, daled, and yud, one of the names for G-d. The bits of gold throughout the canvas symbolize people in the world who have some Jewish heritage and/or have been influenced by the Jewish civilization.

The sliver of gold remains apart, swimming against the current of what is normative in society and culture. At times, it is difficult to be a Jew, and simultaneously a blessing. A tiny, yet ancient minority, a beacon of light, stubborn, loving and bright.

I was inspired to create A Sliver of Gold series after repeated conversations with people, almost exclusively non-Jews, who vastly overestimated the size of global Jewry. Some people would say there were 1 billion, 100 million, etc, Jews in the world. When I would share with people that Jews are only 0.2% of the world, at times I would be met with shock and disbelief, or refutes that I must be mistaken. Showing people a physical, proportionate representation of the size of the Jewish population offers a unique way to actually see what 0.2% means.

In the United State of America, Jews form 2-2.4% of the population. This means that the non-Jewish majority is 97.6-98%. That is the largest ratio of Jews (2-2.4%) out of any country in the world, apart from Israel.

Approximately 47% of world Jewry resides in Israel, the only country where Jews form a majority, approximately 74% of the population. This means the Jewish holidays, calendar, language, origin stories, spiritual norms and values are congruent with the majority population.

Outside of Israel where Jews live as a minority, Jewish existence means typically doing what the majority is not. Mainstream culture is dictated by what is normative in society, and that means followed by a majority or significant enough segment of the population.

Living in a community with a strong Jewish presence means Jewish culture, time, holidays, dietary needs, etc, are accessible and somewhat normative. Living in NYC for example means Yom Kippur is part of the city and school calendar, kosher markets are available, and on Hanukkah, menorahs are visible in many public spaces, etc.

Living in a Jewish community also means there is less pressure to assimilate and potentially give up important traditions, and aspects of Jewish identity, allowing for Jewish continuity and a thriving and living Jewish presence.